When you want to mix colors, it is important to consider the material you are using. The rules of mixing pigment paints are different from those of lights. Fortunately, by learning about primary and secondary colors and understanding how they interact when mixed (whether they are additive or subtractive), you will be able to combine colors correctly in all situations.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Mix Primary and Secondary Colors
Step 1. Mix primary colors with pigments to get secondary ones
There are three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. They cannot be "created" by mixing other paints. However, they can be combined to form the three secondary colors: red and blue give purple, blue and yellow give green, red and yellow give orange.
When you mix the primary colors, the secondary ones you get are not very bright or vibrant. This happens because the combined pigments are subtractive and reflect less spectrum light, creating dark and earthy secondary colors
Step 2. Create the intermediate colors by mixing primary and secondary pigments
There are 6 intermediate colors that you can get from the various mixes of primary and secondary pigments: yellow-orange, red-orange, purple-red, blue-purple, green-blue and yellow-green.
These intermediate colors are found between the primary and secondary colors in the color wheel
Step 3. Combine two secondary pigments to get a tertiary color
In addition to the primary, secondary and intermediate colors, there are also three tertiary colors that you can achieve by mixing two secondary colors. These are brown (green and orange), brick red (orange and purple) and slate (purple and green).
These colors are not usually found on the color wheels, but you can still get them by mixing the other paints
Step 4. Don't try to create white by mixing other pigments
Paints are subtractive, as pigments absorb parts of the light spectrum and reflect others, producing the color we perceive. This means that by adding more pigments the paint becomes darker, because it absorbs more and more light. Consequently, it is impossible to create white by mixing pigments.
If you want to use white paint for your project, you will need to purchase it instead of getting it from a blend
Step 5. Mix all the primary colors to get brown
You can create brown paint by mixing all three primary colors in equal parts. You can also make it by mixing any two complementary colors.
If brown is too similar to a specific color, you can neutralize it by adding a small amount of the opposite color
Step 6. Mix brown with blue to get black
The easiest way to get the shade of black you want is to combine the brown paint you just got with blue. You can also do black by mixing the three primary colors together, giving the predominance to blue paint.
Make sure you don't add white or a color that contains it, such as dull yellow or dull yellow-green, because black will become a shade of gray
Method 2 of 3: Create the Various Shades
Step 1. Add white to the various colors to create the light shades
To lighten a color, just add a little white. The more white paint you add, the lighter the final shade will be.
- For example, adding white to red gives you pink, a lighter version of red.
- If adding white to a pigment paint makes the hue too light, you can darken it using the original color.
Step 2. Create the dark shades using black
To darken a color, just add black paint. By adding more black you will get a darker and darker color.
- Some artists prefer to add the complementary of the color, i.e. the opposite one on the exact CMY / RGB color wheel. For example, you can use green to darken magenta and vice versa, because they are opposite colors on the wheel.
- Add black paint (or complementary color) a little at a time, so you don't overdo it. If the hue becomes too dark, you can lighten it using the original paint.
Step 3. Mix a color with black and white to create a dull, dull shade
Colors created in this way are less intense and saturated than the originals. By varying the relative amounts of black and white you add, you can get your desired level of brightness and saturation.
- For example, add black and white to yellow to create light olive green. Black darkens yellow and turns it into olive green, while white lightens the color. By controlling the proportions of the colors you can get the perfect shade of olive green.
- For already low-saturated colors such as brown (dark orange), you can change the hue as you would for light orange: by adding small amounts of the adjacent colors on the color wheel, such as magenta, yellow, red, or orange.. This will make the brown brighter and change its hue.
Method 3 of 3: Mix Colors on a Palette
Step 1. Put the paint to be mixed on the palette
Add the quantities you plan to use or a little less. If you are going to mix colors in equal parts make sure you put identical amounts on the palette and leave plenty of space between them. On the other hand, if the proportions of the colors are not uniform, add more of the prevailing color.
- For example, if you want to make brown, put blue, yellow and red on the palette in equal parts. If you want to do black instead, put more blue on the palette.
- It is probably better to put a little paint on the palette rather than too much, because you can always add more.
Step 2. Use a palette knife to put part of the first color on an empty spot on the palette
Take a small portion of the first color and place it in the center of the palette or in another empty spot. If the paint does not come off easily, tap the palette knife lightly against the surface.
Spatulas are ideal tools for mixing colors on a palette. They allow you not only to get much more uniform colors than brushes, but also to wear the bristles less, because you will not use them for blending operations
Step 3. Clean the spatula with a cloth
This way you won't contaminate the original colors when you pick them up with the palette knife. Use an old rag or cloth you don't mind getting dirty to remove paint stains from the palette knife.
Step 4. Take the second color and add it to the first in the center of the palette
Using the clean spatula, pick up some of the second color and start mixing it with the first. The quantities depend on the proportions of the mixture.
For example, if you are going to mix colors in equal parts, take the same amount of both paints
Step 5. Repeat this to add a third or more colors to the mix
If you are going to mix more than two colors, clean the palette knife again before taking more paint and placing it in the center of the palette, until all the colors are added.
Step 6. Use the palette knife to mix the colors
Once you have them together, it's time to mix them up. Make circular motions with the palette knife to blend the paints, making sure they make good contact. If necessary, apply some pressure, pushing the spatula down.
- Once you have the new color, you have successfully mixed!
- If you don't get the color you want, just clean the palette knife and add more paint to the mix until you're satisfied.
Advice
- Always consider hue, saturation, and lightness when thinking about a color. Hue refers to the position on the color wheel; saturation indicates how rich and intense a color is, such as those of the rainbow or the color wheel; brightness indicates how close a color is to white or black.
- All colors can be considered three-dimensional, with hue, saturation and brightness.
- Getting the gold color is not easy and requires special methods.
